Expert-Approved Makeup That’s Safe for Even the Most Sensitive Skin
Sensitive skin and makeup don't always go hand in hand. That's because easily irritated skin is constantly compromised by environmental factors, household and skincare products, and even allergens, making it succumb to flare-ups, irritation, redness, flakiness, and sensitive spots. Trying to nail down a makeup routine for sensitive skin that works with the skin and not against it is just as challenging as it is to find a skincare routine that doesn't aggravate it. Throwing new makeup into the mix can render sensitive skin a battlefield, so knowing what to use so that the skin stays calm is essential to keeping it healthy and happy.
Makeup Recommendations for Sensitive Skin
- Jane Iredale
- bareminerals
- By Terry
- Glo Skin
- Dermablend
- Wander Beauty
- Anastasia Beverly Hills
- Erborian
- RMS Beauty
- Koh Gen Do
- Chantecaille
- U Beauty
What to Look for in Makeup for Sensitive Skin
Knowing what to look for when finding makeup suitable for sensitive skin is key to preventing the skin from reacting to a product. Use hypoallergenic makeup, which is less likely to cause an allergic response and is non-comedogenic, so it won't clog the pores and lead to breakouts. Fragrance-free makeup is also a wise move since sensitive skin types can react to fragrances that don't benefit the skin. Dermatologist-tested makeup is also more beneficial to the skin versus those that don't bear a doctor's stamp of approval.
Mineral makeup, available in face, lip, and eye makeup, is less likely to aggravate sensitive skin types since it is formulated without harsh ingredients and chemicals and comprises skin-friendly mineral pigments. You'll also want to ensure that the makeup you settle on contains hydrating, anti-inflammatory, and skin-calming ingredients, including niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and squalane, to help reduce inflammation and redness in the skin. This way, the makeup you use on your skin will help soothe and protect it, making it less likely to flare.
Best Makeup for Sensitive Skin
Jane Iredale
With a commitment to clean beauty, Jane Iredale makeup is dermatologist- and sensitivity-tested and uses only the highest-quality minerals and organic ingredients for high-performance color cosmetics. It is the perfect blend of makeup meets skincare, and each product is designed to enhance your natural radiance while nourishing sensitive skin so your skin's true beauty can shine through.
Jane Iredale Smooth Affair Brightening Face Primer
124 reviews
$55.00
Prepping the skin is step one in flawless-looking makeup, especially for sensitive skin. This skin-smoothing, glow-boosting formula refines and prepares the skin for smooth, even makeup application by hydrating it, camouflaging the look of pores, lines, and wrinkles, and firming it, too.
Key Ingredients: Apple extract, royal jelly, algae extract
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefit(s): Helps to firm the skin, maintains the skin's natural elasticity, helps to hydrate the skin and protect it
Jane Iredale Pure Pressed Blush
10 reviews
$32.00
Super easy to apply, this silky, pressed blush glides onto the skin like a powder but blends into the skin like a cream for a fresh flush. Packed with skin-loving ingredients that soothe and moisturize the skin, the blush provides long-lasting color and a healthy glow.
Key Ingredients: Shea butter, pomegranate extract, pine bark extract, jojoba seed oil
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefit(s): Moisturizes and soothes the skin, provides antioxidant protection to fight free radical damage, helps to protect and calm the skin, which also improves the skin's texture
bareMinerals
bareMinerals is the OG makeup brand that improves the skin's health and appearance with gentle formulas that are safe enough to sleep in. Free of harmful chemicals and formulated only with the cleanest, vegan formulas, each makeup product is designed to be tolerated by even the most sensitive skin.
bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Moisturizer Mineral SPF 30
$39.00
This multitasking 3-in-1 moisturizer, skin tint, and sunscreen formula leaves the skin with a boost in moisture and a healthy glow. Layer on more of the oil-free, mineral-based moisturizer to build up the coverage to your designed level.
Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, squalane, titanium dioxide
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefit(s): Helps boost the skin's natural moisture levels, quenches the skin, gives all-day hydration, protects the skin from damaging UVA and UVB rays
bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Blonzer
$28.00
Part blush, part bronzer, this gel-cream formula gives the skin a glowy effect with a hint of blush flush for a natural look. Perfect for all-day wear, it smooths and minimizes the appearance of imperfections and leaves behind a luminous radiance that mimics the effect of a day spent beachside in the sun.
Key Ingredients: Mica, squalane, hyaluronic acid
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefit(s): Provides an instant blurring effect and immediately increases skin hydration levels
By Terry
Infused with ingredients that calm, soothe, and protect the skin, each By Terry makeup product combines high-performance formulations with ingredients that consider the skin's health for easy-to-apply products that won't compromise the skin's integrity.
By Terry Hyaluronic Serum Concealer
$47.00
Conceal imperfections while brightening the skin with this buildable concealer, which offers a natural finish and long-lasting results. Whether you use this creamy yet light concealer to cover dark circles, pimples, and puffiness or to sculpt and contour the face, the formula glides seamlessly onto the skin without aggravating it and leaving it red or irritated.
Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, magnolia flower complex, caffeine
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefit(s): Deeply moisturizes the skin to plump it and fill in lines and wrinkles, blurs away imperfections, comforts the skin by soothing skin inflammation and reducing redness, stimulates circulation to brighten the skin
By Terry Tea to Tan Sun Powder
$69.00
This matte-finish powder hydrates the skin while adding a hint of sun-kissed bronze. Thanks to its nourishing and protecting ingredients, this clean, talc-free, vegan formula improves the skin's radiance while smoothing and hydrating it for a beautiful bronzing effect.
Key Ingredients: Organic cranberry oil, black tea, shea butter, biomimetic encapsulated pigments, silica microspheres
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefit(s): ives a silky finish to the skin while protecting the skin from environmental stressors, helps to hydrate and replenish the skin, helps maintain skin hydration and a healthy barrier
Glo Skin
Glo Skin prides itself on creating consciously clean makeup that delivers real results. Sourcing safe, ethical, and sustainable ingredients that are good for the skin—even sensitive skin—the plastic surgeon-founded brand incorporates minerals into its makeup formulation, which helps nurture the skin without aggravating it or causing irritations and breakouts.
Glo Skin Beauty Oil-Free Tinted Primer SPF 30
26 reviews
$50.00
So much more than your average makeup primer, this 4-in-1 oil-free formula evens out the skin, smooths imperfections, and gives a filter-like finish while correcting inconsistencies in skin tone and blurring the look of lines and pores. Whether you wear it on its own or under makeup, the skincare ingredient-loaded, non-comedogenic primer also helps protect the skin from blue light, UV, and environmental damage.
Key Ingredients: Niacinamide, vitamin C, salicylic acid, mineral pigments
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefit(s): Corrects and reduces redness in the skin for a more even skin tone, blurs away the look of fine lines and pores, protects against age-related damage from the environment, blue light, and UV exposure, reduces excess oil
Glo Skin Beauty Pressed Base Powder Foundation
315 reviews
$52.00
This lightweight yet long-wearing pressed powder foundation gives the skin a natural finish, making it look like you're not wearing makeup. Thanks to its long-wear formulation, the antioxidant-infused semi-matte makeup offers buildable coverage without any dryness, cakiness, or flashback. It is safe enough to use even on intolerable skin.
Key Ingredients: Vitamins C and E, green tea extract, natural minerals
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefit(s): Gives the skin a blurred, second-skin-like look, safe to use on red, sensitive, sunburned, and post-treatment skin, offers flexible coverage
Dermablend
Combining makeup with dermatology, Dermablend is the culmination of high-performance pigments and dermatologist-approved standards for cosmetics that are safe for all skin types and conditions. The allergy-tested line is ideal for sensitive skin and offers color cosmetics that deliver superior results without ever compromising the skin's integrity or health.
Dermablend Loose Setting Powder
166 reviews
$32.00
Wear this translucent powder on any area on the face or body where you want to lock in your makeup. It enhances its performance and gives it long-lasting staying power. The transfer-resistant and smudge-free powder blends into the skin seamlessly, helping to mattify the skin for flawless-looking makeup every single time.
Key Ingredients: Iron oxides, corn starch
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefit(s): Locks in makeup for up to 16 hours of wear, smudge- and transfer-resistant, mattifies the skin, gives a sheer translucence
Dermablend Flawless Creator Multi-Use Liquid Foundation
61 reviews
$42.00
Layer on this oil-free, non-comedogenic foundation drops for even coverage and a flawless finish. Perfect to wear alone or to mix in with your favorite skincare products, this full-coverage foundation features just 10 ingredients plus high-performance pigments for a natural finish.
Key Ingredients: Silica, titanium dioxide
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefit(s): Oil-free formula, long-lasting coverage, never gives a cakey look to the skin
Wander Beauty
This female-founded, clean makeup line consists of effortless beauty essentials that make getting ready every day much easier and better for your skin. Composed of multitasking cosmetics that do more than the average and formulated with globally sourced, safe-for-your-skin ingredients that help improve it rather than harm it, each easy-to-use, mess-free makeup product works on the go, too.
Wander Beauty In Neutral Eyeshadow Palette
$42.00
The ultimate nude eyeshadow palette, this go-to collection of natural, skin-tone flattering colors creates a timeless look. Featuring a mix of matte and shimmer finishes for effortless daytime and nighttime looks, and the formulas glide onto the lids without irritating the delicate skin.
Key Ingredients: Silica, titanium dioxide
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefit(s): Creates an effortless look
Wander Beauty Blush All Day Hydrating Powder Blush
For a healthy flush of color, layer on this silky powder blush infused with hydrating skincare ingredients. The buildable formula blurs away imperfections while adding a hint of healthy color to the cheeks for a natural-looking yet gorgeous glow.
Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, squalane, aloe leaf extract
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefit(s): Enhances the complexion, provides hydration, blurs away the look of fine lines and wrinkles
Anastasia Beverly Hills
Eyebrows may have put the Anastasia Beverly Hills brand on the map, but their powerful and innovative color cosmetics made it a household name. Formulated with breathable ingredients that offer blurring benefits, each makeup product enhances the skin, so it looks better without irritation.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Impeccable Blurring Matte Setting Spray
$36.00
After completing your makeup, spritz on this 24-hour setting spray to lock everything in while giving a velvety-matte finish. The hydrating and blurring formula also helps minimize the look of pores, fine lines, and wrinkles.
Key Ingredients: N/A
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefit(s): Mattifies the skin, controls shine while blurring pores, prevents makeup from fading
Anastasia Beverly Hills Beauty Balm Serum Boosted Skin Tint
$42.00
This serum-meets-makeup formula provides sheer to light coverage for a glowy finish. Formulated with skin-friendly ingredients, just swipe the stick onto the skin and blend in the skin tint for an absolutely beautiful natural finish.
Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, peptides, fatty acts, coconut oil, shea butter, marula oil
Skin Type: All skin types
Related Article: An In-Depth Beauty Editor Review of Anastasia Beverly Hills Products
Erborian
This Korean skincare brand creates products that improve the skin while boosting self-esteem for instant and long-term results. Each impactful product ensures that you are enhancing the skin while protecting the skin, refining its texture, and protecting it from the sun.
Erborian CC Cream
This color-correcting cream infuses the benefits of skincare with a skin-refining formula. With a weightless finish and long-lasting moisture, the encapsulated pigments also correct discoloration in the skin for a more even skin tone.
Key Ingredients: Centella Asiatica extract, encapsulated pigments, glycerin, zinc oxide
Skin Type: All skin types
Erborian CC Red Correct
13 reviews
$46.00
Send redness packing with this green-tinted color corrector. Packed with sunscreen for an added layer of protection, the skincare-meets-makeup hybrid formula first reduces redness in the skin and then soothes and hydrates it.
Key Ingredients: Centella Asiatica extract, glycerin, zinc oxide
Skin Type: All skin types
RMS Beauty
The original clean makeup brand, RMS, formulates only with certified organic ingredients, making it safe enough to use on sensitive skin. These effortless makeup solutions are multi-purpose, making putting on makeup that much easier.
RMS Beauty Luminizer
$40.00
This cult-classic balm-like highlighter adds a natural sheen and glow to the skin. It comes in four shades, each featuring skin-nourishing ingredients that help heal and illuminate the skin.
Key Ingredients: Castor seed oil, coconut oil, tocopherol, rosemary leaf extract, sunflower seed oil
Skin Type: All skin types
RMS Beauty SunCoverup Super Tint Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Sunscreen
$49.00
This silicone-free tinted moisturizer protects the skin from the sun while evening out its tone and texture for a natural-looking finish. Wear this hydrating multitasker all day, and rest assured that your skin is protected, smoothed, and hydrated, too.
Key Ingredients: Vegetable squalane, bisabolol, RMS adaptogenic herbal blend, non-nano zinc oxide
Skin Type: All skin types
Related Article: An Honest RMS Beauty Review, Tested and Approved By Our Esthetician
Koh Gen Do
The popular Japanese makeup brand Koh Gen Do combines precious plant-based botanicals with skincare technology to nourish and protect the skin.
Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Aqua Foundation
42 reviews
$106.00
This cult-classic glow-inducing foundation improves skin radiance and hydration while covering imperfections and uneven skin tone. Thanks to its breathable formula, it resists sweat and oil for long-lasting coverage. Each formula helps nourish the skin while helping it heal to enhance its luminosity and texture.
Key Ingredients: Light-diffusing minerals, T3 oil
Skin Type: All skin types
Koh Gen Do The Powder
$80.00
With its soft, silky texture, this finishing powder melts into the skin to lock makeup in and hydrate the skin. Packed with skincare ingredients that help protect the skin against irritating environmental aggressors, the powder, which can be worn alone or on top of makeup, smooths the skin and blurs away imperfections.
Key Ingredients: Ceramides, amino acids, snow mushroom, sodium hyaluronate, polysaccharides, licorice leaf extract, green tea
Skin Type: All skin types
Chantecaille
Harnessing the skin-rejuvenating power of flowers and botanical ingredients, Chantecaille offers high-performance color cosmetics in formulations that meet the demands of today's most sensitive and compromised skin.
Chantecaille Future Skin Oil-Free Foundation
$95.00
This lightweight, oil-free foundation creates perfect, buildable coverage for day and night wear. Packed with pigments that camouflage skin imperfections for a flawless finish, the water-rich makeup also moistures the skin to reduce the look of dryness and redness.
Key Ingredients: Aloe leaf, camellia sinesis extract, light-reflecting pigments
Skin Type: All skin types
Chantecaille Cheek Gelee
$49.00
This liquid gel-cream blush adds a pop of color to the cheeks while hydrating the skin. Free of skin-irritating fragrances, the stain-like makeup leaves behind a playful dash of color that looks natural and fresh.
Key Ingredients: Glycerin, tocopherol
Skin Type: All skin types
U Beauty
U Beauty prioritizes your skin's needs with formulations rooted in science and innovation. Thanks to transparency and efficacious routines, each product focuses on safety-tested ingredients that decrease the risk of skin irritations and reactions.
U Beauty the Super Tinted Hydrator
1 reviews
$108.00
If heavy face makeup isn't for you, this lightweight, hydrating skin tint is probably a better choice. With sheer pigments that blend into the skin for a second-skin finish, this tinted hydrator boosts the skin's luminosity while minimizing the look of uneven skin tone and texture and fine lines and wrinkles.
Key Ingredients: Shea butter, peptides, organic Argan oil, avocado oil, grapeseed oil, mineral pigments
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefit(s): Hydrates the skin, minimizes the look of uneven skin tone and texture
24. U Beauty The Plasma Lip Compound
5 reviews
$68.00
Swipe on this colored lip treatment to create natural plumpness and shape for a subtle enhancement. This peptide-packed formula also provides anti-aging benefits, increasing hydration and softness while decreasing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Key Ingredients: Peptides, ceramides, alpha hydroxy acid, polyhydroxy acid, salicylic acid, shea butter, beeswax
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefits: Locks in hydration, plumps and contours the lips, improves lip color, softness, and smoothness
FAQs
What makeup do dermatologists recommend?
When it comes to the best makeup for sensitive skin, most dermatologists recommend color cosmetics that are gentle, hydrating, non-comedogenic, and made with sensitive skin in mind. Beyond what the front label includes, it is crucial to pay attention to the ingredient deck and avoid anything that sounds like your dermatologist would want you to steer clear of. That includes fragrance, harsh chemicals, exfoliants and acids, and parabens. Organic, natural, and clean makeup formulations that contain mineral pigments over synthetic ones are usually a safe bet, as is anything that bears the claim of being dermatologist-tested or approved. If you're unsure whether a makeup product should be in your routine, ask your dermatologist before trying it.
What type of foundation is best for sensitive skin?
The best foundation for sensitive skin is mineral or powder-based since these types tend to be better for this skin type. While that doesn't mean you can't wear liquid or cream foundations, you should opt for those that contain hydrating and calming ingredients, which are less likely to irritate and instigate a skin reaction.
The Bottom Line
The best makeup for sensitive skin doesn't leave the skin red, itchy, dry, compromised, or experiencing an allergic reaction. The general rule of thumb is to stick with products that are non-comedogenic and hypoallergenic and comprised of mineral pigments as opposed to synthetic, harsh chemicals that can be bothersome. Before incorporating any new makeup into your routine, it's best to patch-test it to ensure your skin doesn't react adversely to it rather than taking a chance on it.
Elise Minton Tabin is an award-winning beauty journalist, editor, and beauty expert with more than 16 years of experience. She previously held the title of Executive Beauty Editor at NewBeauty magazine, where she reported on beauty, plastic surgery, anti-aging, health and wellness. She was also instrumental in the launch of the beauty supplement brand Hush & Hush. A self-professed beauty junkie and retinol and sunscreen pusher, Elise knows what’s new, what works and who’s the best to go for every procedure under the sun. Follow Elise on Facebook, Instagram, and on her beauty blog, elisetabin.com
